Day-old chicks need three things to thrive: warmth, clean water, and the right feed. Get those right and the rest is easy.
The brooder
A brooder is just a draft-free box or tub with high sides (chicks jump sooner than you’d think). Allow ~½ sq ft per chick for the first weeks, more as they grow. Line it with paper towels for the first few days, then pine shavings — never slippery newspaper, which causes splayed legs.
Heat — the make-or-break
Start at 95 °F (35 °C) under the lamp or plate for week one, then drop ~5 °F each week until you reach room temperature (around week 5–6).
Let the chicks tell you if it’s right:
- Huddled under the heat → too cold.
- Pressed to the far corners, panting → too hot.
- Spread out, exploring, chirping softly → just right.
A radiant heat plate is safer than a heat lamp (no fire risk) and mimics a mother hen.
Feed and water
- Chick starter crumble, free-choice, from day one.
- Clean water in a shallow chick fount. Dip each new chick’s beak once so it learns where to drink.
- Keep both clean — chicks foul them quickly.
Moving outside
By 5–6 weeks, fully feathered chicks can move to the coop once nighttime temperatures are mild and they no longer need supplemental heat.
Size the coop they’ll grow into with the Coop Calculator, and start picking your breeds with the Breed Finder.